First Running cycle - Need feedback
Hello, good afternoon 
I`m trying to do my very first run cycle (I`m new to animation, I`ve been studying it for 1 or 2 months). I finished my block-out and breakdowns, in stepped mode the loop looks good but still not good enough for me, I`m trying to realize where`s the wrong frame/position but I`m pretty much stuck.
Follow bellow the videos/rendered image.
Stepped Cycle (2`s):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxGipqDVvc8With Maya`s between Cycle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0J1Ap24I8QSimple Light Render test:
I really need a feedback for the running cycle (mainly the legs). I spent some time trying to give a ``fluid``motion to the upper body + arm swings + hands.
Sorry for my english btw, is not my main language.
Thanks!!
Replies
When I do Run and Walk-cycles I like to start with the hips and then go down from there, and when the legs looks ok I do the upper body one part at the time.
So looking at the run this way you can see that the Hips up and down-motion is a bit even - makes him seem weightless. See if it looks better if you make the keys on the Y-curve weighted tangents (and drag them out a bit to each side) to make the hips stay up/down a bit longer and also make the transition between highest and lowest point quicker. It's hard to see from this angle but maybe there isn't enough rotation side-to-side in the hips as well? (see the torso-section)
Going down from the hips the most notable thing is the "kick" you do with the legs when they are going forward, when the foot is right beneath the character it accelerates superquick to reach the furthest point forward - try to space it out a bit more. The other thing I noted is that you didn't mirror the legs movement from one leg to the other? The characters Right leg is popping from being overextended when its way back - either it is because the foot roll is some frames late or the foot is going too far back. Generally I would recommend mirroring one leg to the other when you start doing a run/walk, so that you don't have to do both manually and then later on when you're happy with the feel you can start adding differences between them.
Above the hips the most notable thing is that the torso is kinda stiff. Since it feels like he isn't running superfast some follow-through in the spine could help sell the weight of the character (Though it might make it more cartoony - since most real runs don't have much overlap there). The thing that could make it less stiff otherwise is the side-to-side rotation. The top part of the torso should counter the hips rotation (see https://youtu.be/PH-3cHxXAK0?t=45 - now I know he ain't running that fast, but you get the point)
Oh, this became way longer than I intended...
Making it shorter:
Even though I like how smooth the arm-movements are, maybe you should consider cutting it down some (kill your darlings, all that jazz) - currently it might feel like the hands are broken, the body is often quite stiff in runs so that you don't pull a limb. But if you're going for more cartoony then it's fine:) The smoothness of the arms might also make the run seem less quick and more... strolling/walking?
The head jitters some, not sure why - maybe to many keys to counter the bodymovement?
I don't think the animation is looping properly, see at 0:02-ish, look over your start and end and see if they match.
A tip for the future, upload the video to Syncsketch so reviewers can paint on the video + see it in frame-by-frame, it makes it both easier to give feedback and easier to understand the feedback:)
Hope some of this helps. Remember that this is just my view on it, you don't have to agree with it at all - take what you like and leave the rest:) Keep it up!
/M
Again, thank you so much!
Luis
I agree with what the others have said and just wanted to throw my two cents in.
I think the first thing you need to do is try and focus on the weight of the run. Currently it feels like the root is floating up and down and the feet are stroking the ground as the legs swing. Try and focus on selling the body being pushed up as the back foot pushes off the ground and have the front foot catch the weight of the body as it comes back down. Try to think of running as series of forward jumps and falls from one foot to another.
Great start though, especially for a first go! Keep at it
Overall much better, maybe that the hip is a bit too bouncy? It works with the cartoony style though, so not sure you have to do anything there.
And you manged to post the same stuff 3 times